Telling Tales
by no-rhyme-no-reason-in-love
Summary: A compilation of pieces from my Tumblr. If you know my Tumblr page, please disregard these uploads as you will be seeing a lot of repeats. This will start from my oldest posts to my newer ones. Enjoy!
1. A Morbid Promise

He makes her promise one thing: he wants to go first. He doesn't tell her why, and she can't ask. There is something in his eyes that keeps her question to herself. Something fierce and quiet in those amber eyes that she can't help but promise him whatever he wants. And though she can't control destiny, she just nods her head. He smiles, and she's happy that the look is gone.

He never tells her why he wants to die before her. He won't ever tell her because even just the thought of being without her is painful. So he wants to go first. Even if it's selfish, he doesn't think he can take the agony of living without her smile. So he's happy when she gives into his request. He's relieved.

Which is why when the time finally comes, she feels guilty, and he feels betrayed.


	2. A Dream

When he was fifteen, before powers and villains, he had a dream. A dream in which he married her.

He can't remember much about it. A few images, a few sounds. Like the scattered cheers of their few friends. Like her bright smile.

He couldn't remember much, but as soon as he saw her, he looked away.

Now, he's twenty-one. And he's done dreaming. He's done looking away.

He doesn't dream about marrying her; it's their reality. And just like that dream, that fleeting, inconceivable dream from six years ago, he is standing in front of the same smiling girl. But instead of a few friends, they are surrounded by loud screams of congratulations by more people than they could have even imagined, more than they could have ever hoped for. And instead of waking up, he holds her face-cheeks warm with blood, skin soft with happiness-in his hands, and he whispers those three little words.

And it's not a dream come true. It couldn't be. Because this…this is better than anything his could mind could conjure up.


	3. Her Name

The first time he said her first name was on their first date. Well…it was the first time he tried. He really only managed to stutter out the first syllable before he pressed his lips together, scowled, and crossed his arms over his chest in embarrassment. And when she looked at him, he said "whatever," and he declared first names were stupid.

She had laughed. He had blushed.

The second time was a bit closer. Oh, he said it alright…just not to her. Or out loud. But he said it. In his mind. Alone. And in a whisper.

It still counted.

They say third times the charm. Not for him.

They were watching a movie at her apartment. Just the two of them, and she had shyly (slyly was what he told her later. She denied it with a blush) laid her head on his shoulder. And it was nice for a while. And then soon a bit uncomfortable. Too much heat. Too close. Not close enough. And he felt that all too familiar urge, and he thought he would try his hand at seduction. So he whispered her name. A deep, husky sound of want.

She didn't hear him. She had fallen asleep.

And then, it all blurred. He lost count of the times he tried to say her name. But it doesn't matter. All that really matters is that when he finally manages to say it, when she is finally able to hear him, she cries. And she smiles. And damn, she is beautiful.

He kinda wishes he had said it in private, though. It would have saved him all that embarrassing teasing from their friends. Would have saved him from punching Keigo in the face when the idiot tried to copy him. He only said "Or-" before he was cut off.

The poor dumbass never saw it coming.


	4. That Movie

It's not like he hasn't noticed. He sees it. Sees how Yuzu starts acting more like a child with less responsibilities. Sees how Karin starts to accept compliments with a small smile rather than shrugging them off. Sees how she somehow becomes some kind of hybrid to his sisters: a friend, an older sister, a mother.  
She becomes a lot of things for him, too, over the years: a friend, a comrade, and soon, a person that he won't live without. Can't live without.  
And he doesn't know how it happens. He doesn't know how he ends up showing her that movie. That movie which his old man saw with his mother so many years ago. That boring and dark movie.  
He expects her to have the same reaction as his mother. They were similar in that kind of way. They were both too empathetic for their own good. Too kind.  
He expects her to cry. She does. But at the end, she smiles. She smiles as she wipes her tears.  
"I want that…I want that kind of love," she whispers. To herself or him, he doesn't know. But he hears her. And really, he doesn't know how it happens. Something in him just clicks. Like he is moved back in place after being so misaligned for so long. Like he's finally opening his eyes and seeing, truly seeing, for the first time.  
"Would you," he pauses as he wets his suddenly dry lips. Being in the heat for too long does that, he thinks almost in a delirious fashion. "Would you want that with me?"  
And he doesn't know how it happens. But from that day, she becomes much more than what she was to him. She becomes his sun.


	5. That Question

There is one question he doesn't ask her over the time they've spent together. One question that he will never ask. And it's not the big ones. The "Will you make time for me" or the "Will you marry me" type of questions. He's asked her those a long time ago.  
No, the one question he won't ask is "Why me?"  
And really, at this point in their relationship, he shouldn't be asking this question even to _himself_. They are happily married, and they are expecting their first child, and everything is as it should be, what he hoped it to be for so long, and he should have his answer. But he doesn't. Not really.  
Because despite the "I love yous" and the "I can't live without yous," there is always a hint of disbelief that wells up in him each time he hears her reassurance. Always a bit of doubt.  
But to say he doubts her love is not a fair assumption. He _knows_ she loves him. This he can never refute, but he doesn't know _why_ she does. Why him?  
Blame it on the people around him. The people who told him that he could never be with a girl like her or that he doesn't deserve her or that she could do so much better. Blame it on them because each time he heard those words, he believed them. And those words _haunted_ him. To the point that it took years for him to ask her if she would even consider giving him a chance. Just a chance was all he could ever hope for.  
Even now, those words still haunt him. They haven't gone away. He believes them even more. Because honestly, she is better than him, and she does deserve someone else, someone better, and his chance should have stopped a long time ago.  
But here she is. She's welcoming him home, to their home, and she's rubbing her stomach that's begun to show a bump, and she's wrapping her arms around him and whispering an "I've missed you" into his shirt, and she's projecting, without words, that she's in love with him. That she will always be in love with him.  
And this should be his answer. Or this should give him the courage to ask that stupid question. But he can't. Because he's afraid. He's afraid that if he asks, she'll realize the validity of all those statements. He's afraid that the illusion she's under will disappear, leaving her to view him for who he truly is. She'll be able to _see_ him, and she'll finally see the truth. She'll know.  
And it's silly. But he can't ask. He can't take that risk. So he'll never know why she chose him or why she loves him. He'll just know that she did and that she does. He'll just know that he's blessed.

Maybe he'll be able to ask her in the next lifetime. Maybe he'll feel like he deserves her then. Maybe he will. But he probably won't.


	6. Just A Touch

"Wah! It's so big!" She whispers.  
"Don't…don't look so closely!"  
She gives a soft laugh as she leans in closer .  
"Are you embarrassed about how big it is?"  
He blushes.  
"No!"  
"Can I touch it?"  
His eyes widen.  
"N-no!"  
She pouts.  
"But…But I would let you touch mine if I had one!"  
"I wouldn't want to touch yours!" He yells as he backs up.  
"No fair," she whines. "It's so huge!" She moves in closer. "I just can't resist!"  
"Hime, I love you, but get your finger out of my face!"  
"But I want to touch your pimple!"


	7. The Sun or the Moon

It's a choice. There's always a choice. Either to travel down one path or travel down the other. A choice.

I…I had no choice. From the beginning, I had no choice in which path I took. Although, I did have two choices. I held one heart in each of my palms. One heart belonged to the girl who changed my world, who stopped the rain. The other heart belonged to the girl who smiled, who cared too deeply, too blindly. From that alone, it should be obvious which heart I held carefully and which heart I crushed. From that alone, it should be obvious.

But, you see, the girl who changed my world, she is the moon. She shines in the darkness so brilliantly. She briefly illuminated my world when I was in my darkest times. She changed the tides for me like the moon does for the Earth.

But the girl who smiled, who smiles…she is the sun. She shines all the time, but at night, I can't see her light. I turn away from her like the earth does each day to the sun. But she was there. Just like the sun, she was always there. Always there even when I didn't realize that she was.

If I had a choice, maybe my life would've been different. But I didn't have a choice. Because I could live without the moon. I would be unstable, wobbly with the loss of gravitational pull that she provided, but I would survive. I would.

But I couldn't live without the sun. No one can. Without the sun, I couldn't survive. Without my sun, I would die. Without her, I wouldn't be able to exist. And it is only by fate and fate alone that made my sun keep me in her orbit.

So no, I didn't have a choice. But if I did, I would've chosen her. I would've chosen the one who burns me with a touch, whose smile warms me through my bones, who makes my life worth living. I would've chosen the sun.


	8. A Romantic Man

He's, by nature, not a romantic man. He's a stubborn man, a dense man, too, but not romantic.

But for her, he tries.

It doesn't go smoothly at first. When he tries to brush hair out of her face, his watch gets caught. He gently tries to free himself, but he still manages to pull out a couple of strands. And although she reassures him she's fine, he feels really guilty.

It doesn't go so well the second time, either.  
He tries to give her his jacket on a cold night, but he makes one big mistake: he tells her it's cold first. He does this thinking that this is a perfect segway to casually put his jacket on her shoulders without it being random. She agrees, so he's about to shrug the jacket off. Unfortunately, next thing he knows, she's giving him her scarf, and she's peeling off her gloves to give to him.

He doesn't have the heart to reject her offer.

The next time, he is sure that he'll be able to do it properly. He is sure that he'll be romantic.

That fails, too.

This time he goes to hold her hand, which he does without looking because, hey, he's embarrassed to be doing it. But when he feels a hand in his own, he finally thinks he's done it. He did one romantic act.

Too bad it's not her hand that he's holding. It's Ishida's.

All of his other attempts end up the same, and he is forced to accept that he's, by no means, a romantic man.

So why is she telling Tatsuki that he is?

"He…he records my favorite shows so we can watch them together, and he calls me every night to wish me sweet dreams."

Ah. That's why.


	9. Her Birthday

Dedicated to nonamedrawing123 / randomcomics85 Thanks for the drawing shout-out! Enjoy!

She gapes at him as blood reaches her cheeks.

"Anything? Really?" Her tone is a mixture between surprised and pleased.

He smiles.

"Would I lie to you?"

Her mouth snaps shut as she shakes her head.

"Don't ask for impossible things though," he warns her gently. She nods, and he smirks as he leans to whisper in her ear. "But naughty things are always on the table."

She flushes and pushes him in embarrassment.

"Ichi!" She protests will looking around, trying to see if anyone overheard them.

He laughs, and she pouts at him.

"You shouldn't pout on your birthday, Hime."

Her cheeks puff out in defiance.

He chuckles before bending down to give her a swift kiss on her cheek.

He begins to pull away when she tells him to wait.

He raises an eyebrow.

"Kiss…"

"Hmm?"

"I want a proper kiss," she demands cutely.

He sighs.

"I guess since it's your birthday…" he says with faked reluctance.

Her eyebrows crinkle, and her lips part in her kitty anger.

"You're so-"

He stops her next word with a quick peck that quickly deepens when she wraps her arms around his neck.

He breaks the lip-lock, reminding himself that they are in the public. He should've broken it sooner because his hands are at her hips with his fingers curled around her.

She blinks at him, dazed and blushing.

"Was that proper enough for you, or would you like another one?"

She purses her lips.

"I've had better," she dismisses while dropping her arms and walking away.

"You better be talking about me," he calls after her.

She doesn't answer.


	10. Just Once

Just once. Just once he wishes to be brave. Just one fucking time.  
But as he watches her interact with his sisters, he realizes that he's not. He's not brave. He's a coward.  
If you ask anyone, though, anyone who knows him, they'd sing high praise about his fighting skills, about his accomplishments, and yes, about his almost stupid bravery. Anyone who knows him would think him brave.  
Maybe no one knows him at all.  
But he knows. It's how another year has come and gone. Another year of being stuck in the same place. Frozen all because he's scared what will happen if he makes one move. And because of this, he can only watch as things change. Watch as she becomes closer to him, close enough that if he could just gather enough courage, he would be able to reach her. But he can't. So he watches and watches as things stay the same.  
"Kurosaki-kun, are you okay?"  
He's not. He feels sick. To his very bones. But he nods, and he goes back to pretending to study. And she lingers like she doesn't believe him, but she moves back to Karin who's asking for help on a math problem. And he can only watch.  
He's fucking pathetic.  
She's going to a goukon tonight. He didn't hear it from her. He overheard her coworkers talking about it. Saying how they had no chance now that she would be joining them. Laughing at how they never had a chance whenever she's around. But they were happy that she would be going. They were smiling and happy.  
He was not.  
And if someone were to ask why, why he's so upset, he would tell them a half-truth. He would tell them he's worried that she'll be forced to drink despite being underage, worried about her being hit on, and worried about her getting taken advantage of. And it's a half-truth because although he's worried, less worried knowing Tatsuki will be there, the real reason why he's feeling so distraught, so sick, is because there is something that Tatsuki can't protect her from; her own feelings.  
Yeah. He's terrified. He's terrified that if she goes tonight, she'll meet someone. Someone who interests her. Someone who she'll grow to like. And then grow to love.  
His heart hurts in the worst way.  
"Are you sure you won't stay for dinner?"  
He looks at her.  
She smiles as she shakes her head at Yuzu.  
"I wish I could, but I can't tonight."  
Both of his sisters look disappointed. He thinks he looks like that, too.  
She says goodbye to the both of them with a hug, and she walks over to him. And he's hoping. Just this one time, he's hoping that he'll be brave. That he'll be able to ask her to not go. Ask her to stay. To stay with him.  
Just this once, he wants to be brave enough to ask for change.  
"Bye, Kurosaki-kun. I'll see you tomorrow?"  
Her question is quiet. Like she's unsure of it herself.  
Come on. Say it. Tell her. Do it. Confess.  
"Tomorrow."  
He watches as she smiles, waves goodbye, and leaves.  
He closes his eyes and sighs.  
He's not brave. And he'll pay for it. He knows he will.


	11. His Birthday

"Papa."  
He opens one eye to glance down at his chest before closing it.  
"Papa."  
He scratches his head with his free hand. His other hand is currently being used as a pillow for his son.  
"Papa!"  
He chuckles quietly to himself as the boy sits up with a poor excuse for a scowl on his face.  
"Papa!"  
He rolls over, turning his back on his son.  
"Mama! Papa's ignoring me!"  
He rolls back and leans his head against his palm.  
"Tattletale."  
His son gasps, his expression horrified.  
"You," his voice quivers, "you were really ignoring me?" He looks close to tears.  
"I'm trying to take a nap!"  
"But we've been napping for 10 minutes," the orange haired boy complains.  
"That's not a nap; that's an eye blink."  
Kazui pouts.  
"Don't give me that look. You said you wanted to nap with me."  
"But papa…"  
"No buts. I'm old. I need me a nap."  
"Papa~" he whines.  
"What's wrong, Kazui? Is Papa being mean again?"  
He looks over to the door. Hime is smiling.  
"Again? You act like I bully him."  
"Well…"  
He sits up.  
"Oh, I see what's happening. You two are ganging up on me. Like always."  
She gasps and her hand flutters up to rest over heart.  
"We would never!" She states theatrically.  
He rolls his eyes.  
"You've been hanging out with Keigo too much."  
She giggles.  
"Mama! Papa is still ignoring me!"  
He reaches to his side and grabs his son with both of his hands, holding the boy in the air  
"No, I'm not. I'm trying to sleep."  
"But I want to play!"  
"But I want to sleep."  
Kazui's lip starts to jut out.  
"Come on, honey. I'll play with you. Let papa sleep for now. It's his birthday wish."  
He is still holding Kazui in the air as his head snaps towards her.  
"That's not my birthday wish."  
She smiles.  
"Sure it is. Come, Kazui."  
He sets his son back on the bed.  
"Oi, Hime! That's not my birthday wish!"  
He watches them leave with a slight frown on his face. He debates if he should follow them, but he decides against it.  
Instead, he flops back onto the bed and thinks of his real birthday wish. A wish they have both been having for a long while but have been waiting for the right time to make it happen.  
He yawns and closes eyes.  
For his 28th birthday, he wants one thing: another kid. And he can't wait to start trying.


	12. Lies and Excuses

They all stay close together after they graduate. Sure, they have different schools, jobs, and schedules, but they all manage to keep their friendship strong.

But the one relationship that is the strongest is one he doesn't really expect.

It's not Chad who he sees the most nor is it Ishida who he fights next to. Hell, it's not even Rukia by his side. It's her.

He doesn't know exactly how it happens. Doesn't even know when it starts. But she's there. Always.

And maybe it's because she decided to be there. Or maybe it's because he keeps seeking her out. Maybe he keeps finding ways to keep her with him.

It'd make sense. He's the one inviting her to his place. He's the one using his sisters as excuses to make her stay longer. He's the one offering to walk her home after work. He's the one who keeps stubbornly clinging to her.

But she lets him. And maybe it's because she likes being with him just as much as he likes being with her. Maybe she knows all of his lies and excuses he uses to see her. Maybe that's why she gives into his whims.

Maybe she knows that he's in love with her. Maybe, just maybe, she's in love with him, too.

Or maybe those are all lies and excuses he tells himself to be by her side.

It doesn't really matter, does it? So long as they are together, nothing else seems to matter.


	13. An Affectionate Man

He is not a romantic man. But he is an affectionate one.

There is no denying it. He doesn't even try. And honestly, why should he? He is. He knows it.

And she loves it.

She loves when he starts to wrap his arm around her waist when they are in a crowded street and how he won't he let go even when they move past the crowds of people. She loves when he reaches over her small table to curl a strand of her hair around his finger in concentration. She loves when he drapes over her after a long day of killing hollows while she heals him. She loves when he pulls her close so he can nuzzle into her neck. She loves when he kisses her cheek after teasing her about her clumsiness or her eccentricities. She loves when he moves his lips from her cheek to her nose and then finally to her lips.

Well. He thinks she loves it. She never complains. She always leans into his touches, always expectant, always wanting more.

And he's always all too willing to give into her wants.


	14. Not Him

There is one crystal clear moment when he wants to tell her. One defining second in which he wants to overcome his fear, reluctance, and worry about what could happen and just tell her how he feels. In one breath, he's wants to confess his love.

What brings upon this reckless and courageous inkling is when she introduces a new friend of hers to him.

Now, this friend of hers doesn't really make an impression on him. She has many friends, males and females, humans and the not-so-human variety, and just because her new friend is an unfamiliar guy, it doesn't mean anything.

But when she refers to her friend by his first name, it means everything.

Yes. That's all it takes for him to lose his inhibitions because when he hears her call this stranger with so much familiarity, he's absolutely devastated.

And it's not that he's hurt about the fact that they've known each other for three years and they still use their surnames. He is, but what really gets to him is that in one second, he sees it. He sees his one-shot at happiness, at love, slip through his hands–hands that are patiently opened in the hopes that she'll place her own in his but knowing that she never will–because his heart decided a long time ago that if it's not her, it won't be anyone. She's it for him.

But he smothers the impulse, and he tries to fix his features. Giving death glares to her friend will only upset her, so he pretends to be nice, and he returns the handshake the guy gives him.

He sits down without asking if he can join them. Never mind the class he has to get to. It's only by chance that he decided to stop by and get coffee before his class started otherwise he wouldn't have seen them at all.

Maybe that was her intention.

He shakes his head as he pretends to listen to how they met. Well, he does listen. He hears every word because she is the one saying them, and each one of them stabs at his heart because she looks so happy. And shit, for the first time, it's painful to see her smile.

When the guy starts talking, he zones out. It's petty, but he can't help it. He's jealous, and all he wants is to make this guy disappear. He wants for her to look only at him and no one else.

But that's not right. He shouldn't be having these thoughts. He's made up his mind to never pursue her, but for the life of him, he can't think of any of the reasons why. Why can't he reach for her hand? Why can't he pull her close? Why can't he kiss her? Why? What's holding him back?

She begins laughing as she tells the guy about how she knows him, leaving out the most important parts, the parts that define their complicated yet simple relationship. She recounts some normal high school stories, inciting laughs from her new friend. He adds some more descriptions when she doesn't get the stories quite right, and she pouts at the add-ins that poke fun at her, and she whines his name that he's heard for years, and he can't help but to smile, and…

And he knows. He knows what holds him back: their friendship.

But just because he knows not to interfere with whatever relationship she has with this man, he can't leave her alone with him. He can't bear the thought of what will happen if he leaves first, so he waits the other guy out.

Finally, the new enemy excuses himself. He doesn't give her a hug or anything like that, and the guy better be counting his luck that he didn't because if he did…

Once he's gone, it's quiet at the table. He's trying to find the right words to say without coming across jealous, but he's not having any luck. He has no choice but to keep his mouth shut.

She breaks the silence by asking what he thought of her new friend, and although this should rub him this wrong way, it doesn't. Because he's confused. She just used the wrong name; she used his surname and not his first name.

He asks her if she got the name right, and she explains that her friend wants to be referred to by a nickname. She goes on to say that she doesn't feel that comfortable doing it because they aren't that close, but she respects his wishes, so she calls him what he prefers.

And while he listens to her explanations, his shoulders slump in relief, and he takes in a gulp of air because he can finally breathe. And he shouldn't be feeling this way. He shouldn't be so damn grateful that it's not him, whatever his name is, that she likes, that she'll end up with. Because at the end of the day, it's not him, either.


	15. A Family Confession

"I'm going to confess today."

She looks up from the bowl that is cradled in her arms.

"Oh!? Who is she!?" She asks excitedly.

He takes a deep breath to keep his dread at bay.

"It's not a she," he whispers. He dares not look at her when he corrects. He's afraid to.

"Do I know him!? Is he that Daisuke boy? Or that cute one on the soccer team? The one who snorts when he laughs?" She asks with the same exclamations.

His head snaps up to look at her. His eyes are wide open in surprise.

"You..you don't care?"

She smiles as she sets the bowl down. She takes a seat next to him and places a hand against his cheek.

"Of course, I care about who you like. Do you not want me to?"

He looks down.

"You know what I mean," he clarifies.

"Oh, honey. All I want is for you to be happy, and whoever you choose to be with, I'll support you. Always."

He bites his lip as she kisses his forehead. He's relieved that she is taking the news well. He is, but he is still tense. Still in turmoil.

"What about dad? Do you… do you think he will hate me?"

"Your father would never hate you, Kazui. Your his whole world."

He blushes.

"That's not true," he protests.

"Oh, hush. Listen to your mama," she playfully scolds.

"Yeah, punk. Listen to your mama," a new voice comes into the mix.

"Dad…"

"Such a warm greeting," Ichigo sarcastically remarks as he walks over to the table. He gives Orihime a quick peck on her cheek, and he ruffles Kazui's hair before sitting down across from them.

Orihime giggles.

"Now, now, Ichi. We can't gang up on him like that."

Ichigo smirks as he reaches to grab a piece of bacon from Kazui's plate.

"Why not? It's fun."

Kazui reacts by moving his plate away from his dad's grasp. Ichigo reacts by using his other hand to steal his sought after prize.

"Too slow, kid. Better luck ne–"

"I'm asking out a guy today!" He interrupts his dad's teasing. The nerves were getting to him, and he couldn't hold it in any longer. Although, maybe he shouldn't have interrupted. That may have been the last time his dad would act normal around him.

"Who is he?" Ichigo grunts out. His voice is harsh.

Kazui nearly shriveled up in despair right then and there.

"It better not be that thug Tooru. Oh please, Kazui, tell me it's not that Uryuu clone. I already have one of my own. Don't make me deal with two."

"I'm telling him that!"

"You are such a snitch, Hime."

She sticks out her tongue, and he makes a fake attempt to grab it. She squeals, and he laughs.

And Kazui? He can only watch with his mouth agape.

"I think flies will make a home in there if you don't close your mouth soon," Ichigo remarks as he chews on his food.

His mouth snaps close, but he can't hide his confusion or surprise at his dad's reaction.

"Look, Kazui, love whoever you want. As long as you're happy, I'm happy. But whoever you love, just know this…" Kazui gulps anxiously. "Male or female, no one will be good enough for my baby boy."

His eyes instantly water, and he starts sniffling to hold back his tears, but they overflow anyway. And he hears identical sniffles next to him, and he knows his mother is crying, too.

"Geez…I forgot that I have two cry-babies here," Ichigo complains fondly. "Can't we have one breakfast without tears?"

"No!" Kazui and Orihime reply at the same time. They look at each other's tear-stained faces and burst out laughing. Ichigo snickers at their antics.

And all was well.


	16. A Fan Boy

Keigo Asano's Perspective

* * *

You watch as she watches him. And then when she looks away, afraid of getting caught staring, you watch him glance up at her. You watch as he gazes at her for a second. Just for a second until he looks down. And it's as if he can't bear to look at her for any longer.

But then his eyes return to her like he can't stand not to look at her for another second. And then you see him shake his head as if he thinks looking at her is not a privilege he has or deserves. And you watch as he looks down again. And the whole thing repeats as she shyly peeks at him through her hair. And the process repeats and repeats and repeats as you fill the silence with jokes that have no punchline and no feeling. As your heart cracks with each fake grin.

You like her. You think you maybe even love her; although, it's just puppy love at most. But you love her, and you daydream of her turning towards you, looking at you, and smiling that smile that is reserved for him and only him. But they are all daydreams and nothing more. Because reality tells it to you straight: she's in love with him.

But if that was all, you would believe that you might still have a chance. But it's not. Because he loves her, too. And even though they are both too shy, too hesitant to start a relationship, there's no way that anyone could stand between 's no way you could even dare try to compete for her love when all her eyes will ever see is him.

But you won't wish him any encouragement even though you two are best of friends. He doesn't need it. Instead, you want him to stay a coward. You want him to not make a move even though it'll hurt her. Even though it'll hurt him. Because you want him to ache for her. And you want him to pine. To yearn. To long. To crave. To hope. To suffer. Because unlike you, he has a cure to ease his pain. He has her.

And you never will.

But it's just puppy love, right? After all, a jester has no place among a knight and his princess.


	17. Promises

"Just promise me one thing…"

He looks at her warily.

"What?"

"Don't fall in love with me," she states with a serious face before turning around and running behind a tree.

He stands in the same spot she left him. Frozen. Well, not completely frozen as his heart races, and his blood rushes to his cheeks in embarrassment.

He looks at her as she glances over her shoulder to wave him over to where she's at, and he clumsily walks over toward her.

She frowns.

"Kurosaki-kun!" She whines in a whisper. "We'll be caught if you aren't more secretive!"

He clears his throat.

"Inoue…we are standing behind a tree that is one-inch wide. I'm pretty sure we are far from being inconspicuous."

"But we have disguises!"

His eyes sweep over her, and he shakes his head. Although she's wearing a disguise, she is only drawing more attention to herself with her doctor getup that she borrowed from his dad.

"Not great ones," he counters back as he looks at the scrubs he wears.

She clicks her tongue as she focuses back on their target.

"Well, I think we look unrecognizable! Tatsuki-chan has no hope in catching us!"

He sighs as he runs a hand down his face.

"She's waving at us, Inoue!"

She stills before turning around fast, and she seems like she tries to run away from Tatsuki's sight because she crashes into him.

His arms immediately go around her to keep her from falling.

She looks up, and he holds his breath as she blushes.

"Sorry, Kurosaki-kun. It looks like our mission failed."

He rolls his eyes.

He already knew that they might fail when she came to his home and proposed this ridiculous idea of trailing after Tatsuki because she's been acting strange recently.  
But honestly, the second she recited that line that she heard from an action movie they saw together a week earlier, he knew the mission would end in failure. Because he couldn't promise her the one thing she asked for. Because truth be told, he's fallen in love with her a long time ago.

He guesses some promises aren't made to be kept.


	18. Without Words

He didn't use words to tell her how he felt. He just reached for her hand when he was walking her to her apartment after work. And when she tried to jerk her hand away in surprise, he held onto her and squeezed. She looked at him with a blush and confused eyes, but all he could do was interlace their fingers and tug her just a bit closer to him. And without words, he told her how he felt. Without words, he told her: I want to hold _this_ hand. I want to hold _your_ hand. And without words, she understood.

And when he first kissed her, it was an impulse. She had just been so cute with her adorable pout as she explained that he should be careful around one of his classmate. She had insisted that his classmate liked him, and he was just too dense and trusting to notice it. And then she went to cross her arms in mock anger. And that was it. He couldn't take it anymore. He bent down and kissed her. And without words, he told her how he felt. Without words he told her: I want to kiss you. I want to kiss _only_ you.

And without words, she understood.

Their first time happened when they least expected. She had been baking a new concoction, and he had been working on some papers. She asked him to taste the batter for her, and he walked over, wrapped his arms around her, and did as he was told. He told her it needed more sugar, and she tried to wiggle out of his arms to get the ingredient. But he held on tighter, and he turned her head to kiss her. After a minute, he pulled back and said that it was perfect now. She had blushed at his corniness, but she also turned in his arms to kiss him. And then, things lead to another. And without words, he told her how he felt. Without words, he told her: I want you. I want _all_ of you.

And without words, she understood.

It took him a month or so for him to finally buy a ring. It wasn't anything fancy. He didn't have the money for something that could match her beauty. Unfortunately for him, there was no amount of money that could. But he bought a ring that caught his eye, and he knew that whatever he chose, she would love it.

The plan was to wait for a special occasion, but it never came. Because he could only last a few hours of nervousness before he placed the velvet box on her forehead as she slept. And when he woke up due to her tears of happiness and emphatic accept, he breathed out a sigh of relief. Because without words, he told her how he felt. Without words, he told her: I love you. I love you, and I _need_ you by my side _always_.

And without words, she understood.

They had a plan. They were supposed to get married with their family and friends, but he was impatient. He couldn't stand not being married to her any longer, so the next day they had off, he, wordlessly, grabbed her hand and lead her to the nearest place that did wedding ceremonies. And without words, he told her how he felt. Without words, he told her: Forever. That's what I want. I want to be with you _forever_.

And she understood all of his unspoken words.


	19. His Win (Alternate Ending)

"You…you won't find her, Ichigo," she whispers.

"You don't know that," he argues as he walks away from her.

"He absorbed her! She's gone! Her soul is gone forever!"

He pauses, and he clenches his hands into fists before forcing himself to relax.

"I'll find her," he vows.

"Please, Ichigo. Give up. Go home. Your family misses you."

"I'm not going back without her."

"I-ichigo, please!" Rukia pleads in a teary voice. "Inoue wouldn't want this for you!"

He spins around to glare at his friend.

"What the hell do you know what she wants?!" She flinches at his yelling. "And why the hell should I care about what she wants?! Huh?! She didn't care about what I wanted! She just…" He squeezes his eyes shut in pain.

"I know it hurts, Ichigo. I know you miss her, and I know you blame yourself, but doing this, searching for her, it's not going to change anything. She's never coming back."

He opens his eyes, and he looks at her. She's crying. She's upset. And he just doesn't care. Not when everything in him is in pain.

"You don't get it, Rukia."

"Then explain it to me!"

He smiles at her, and he feels it. He feels how disturbed and broken it is. How destroyed he is.

"We saved the world, Rukia. We defeated him. We won." He takes in a deep breath that stings his throat. "We won." He repeats, his voice cracking.

"Ichigo," she tries to comfort him.

"You know, if she asked…if she just asked what I wanted…she would be here, and everyone else wouldn't be."

She has no retort. No words. Nothing to offer him.

So he turns around, and he walks and walks deeper into despair.


	20. The First Proposal

"Will you…no…I can't ask it. Then she'll have a chance to say no…Marry me…nope. Too demanding. Don't want her to think I'm some kind of thug," he mutters as he paces in his room. "Please marry me…God, I might as well get on my knees and beg if I'm going to sound so desperate ." He pauses. "Although it's not so far fetched." He shakes his head and continues pacing.  
"Come on, it shouldn't be this hard!" He shouts as he pulls at his hair in frustration.  
"What shouldn't be hard?"  
"Asking you to marry me!" He automatically responds without thinking, but when he finally registers the words, the voice, he stops all movements and breathing to gape at her.  
"Eh?"  
He blushes.  
"This doesn't count! I want a do-over!"  
And he gets one. Because she faints. From happiness…he hopes.


	21. Dragonflies

"He loves me…he loves me not," she says to herself as she plucks two petals off a flower. "He loves me…he loves me not." Two more. "He loves me," she repeats while she plucks a petal before her eyelids lower in sadness as she stares at the lone petal. "He loves me not," she whispers.

"Who's the guy and where can I find him to beat him up?"

Her eyes widen.

"K-Kurosaki-kun! What are you doing here?"

He shrugs his shoulders as he sits next to her.

"Just passing by. You?"

She looks at the darkened sky.

"I heard that red dragonflies migration would come this way," she explains.

"I never knew that you liked them."

She nods.

"They remind me of my brother." She points a finger. "He used to be able to hold a finger out like this and a dragonfly would land on it." She sighs. "I never been able to do it."

He looks at her before holding out a finger. There's not trick to it, no reason for it either, but he used to be able to attract dragonflies just like her brother.

Today is no exception. A dragonfly shortly lands on his finger.

She claps in surprise.

"You did it! You're magic, too!"

He snorts.

"I don't know about that. But hold out a finger."

"Huh?"

He chuckles to himself at her confused expression.

"Trust me."

She nods before doing as he instructed.

"Hold still, okay?"

She listens, and he begins to slowly move his hand over to hers. Once they are close together, he transfers the dragonfly from his finger to hers.

She gasps.

"It's…you…how," she stutters.

"Magic."

She smiles at him.

"It feels like that, doesn't it?"

He wants to say that it does. That this moment feels like magic only because he's there with her, but he can't get the words out. Not when she has someone she wants love from. So he just watches her as she brings her face closer to her finger.

In her head, she's thinking that even if he doesn't love her, this night is pure magic. And it becomes even more magical as he begins to attract more dragonflies.

And as he places each new dragonfly onto her and as she remains perfectly still, they both miss the fact that the flower she started with actually has two petals left, but they just got stuck together. And in fact, he does love her, but just like the flower, she's just not looking close enough.

But despite the misunderstandings, she looks at him, and he looks at her, and the magic that is love grows and grows with only those red dragonflies as witnesses.


	22. After School Plans

"Kurosaki-kun!"

He looks over his shoulder, and he spots Inoue jogging towards him.

"Yeah?"

She stops running until she's right by his side.

"I was wondering if you are busy today."

His head tilts before he shakes his head.

"I'm free. Why?"

She blushes before glancing at her shoes.

"Well, if you are not busy, and if it's not too much of a bother, and if you'd like, and-"

"Whatever you need from me, I'm in," he cuts her off, afraid that if he let her keep going, she would malfunction.

She looks up in relief.

"So you want to 'Netflix and Chill?'"

He drops his bag.

"Eh?!" He squeaks as his whole face reddens in an all-consuming blush.

She gives a confused expression

"You don't want to 'Netflix and Chill' with me?"

"Wh-what are saying, Inoue?! You know what tha means, right?!" He asks in a high voice, his tone no longer controlled but panicked.

She nods.

"It means to watch Netflix and relax," she explains innocently.

He scowls at her explanation.

"Doesn't it?"

"No, it doesn't. Where did you hear that from?"

"Tatsuki-chan. She's busy all week, so she told me to ask you to watch the new Halloween special with me in case I get scared. She instructed me to use that exact phrase, too! She said you wouldn't be able to turn me down if I did!"

He curses under his breath at Tatsuki who no doubts wants to cause him a heart attack.

"But I guess she was wrong," she says quietly. "It's okay. I'll go ask Ishida-kun if he wants to-"

He interrupts her quickly.

"No,no,no,no," he rushes out. "I'll watch whatever you want. Just don't ask anyone else that question. Got it?"

"Okay!" She agrees readily.

He lets out a large sigh.

"Okay. Then let's go."

They start walking toward her apartment.

"So what does 'Netflix and Chill' mean? And why did Tatsuki-chan say that you and I would love it?"

He trips and proceeds to plan Tatsuki's death mid-fall. And when he lands on the ground, he decides it will be a slow and painful one.


	23. A Willful Encounter

"Ho-Ho…so we meet again, young grasshopper."

He snorts, covering a laugh.

"I'm older than you, you know."

He hears her shuffle over to him, and if his eyes were open, he'd probably see her sit next to him.

"Only by a couple of months, Kurosaki-kun! And women mature faster than men, so by my calculations, I should technically be older."

This time he laughs as he opens his eyes to look at the golden sky and setting sun.

"You and your sound-proof logic."

She giggles softly, so softly that the flow of the water almost drowns it out.

"So what brings you here this time?"

"Well…so, you know Tatsuki-chan, right?"

He smirks before he moves a hand that is under his head to rub his chin.

"Hmm… the name sounds familiar."

She giggles again, and he looks at her without sitting up.

"Short, right?" She nods in humor. "Black hair?" Another nod, more enthusiastically. "A fighter?" She continues to nod non-stop. "Your best friend? A pain in the ass?"

She nods before really registering his words, making him laugh.

"That wasn't nice," she says with a pout.

"Yeah, yeah," he dismisses with a chuckle. "So what about Tatsuki?"

"Her birthday is coming up."

He sits up.

"And?"

She smiles.

"And I'm here to invite you to her surprise party."

"You came all this way to tell me that?" He asks in suspicion.

She hides her giggles behind her hands.

"So sharp, Kurosaki-kun!"

"Flattery will get you nowhere with me."

She pouts for the second time since arriving at the river bank.

"Kurosaki-kun is so cool!"

His eyes widen.

"Kurosaki-kun is the best!"

He scowls in confusion.

"Kurosaki-kun is the handsomest!"

He blushes.

"What are you saying?!"

She laughs.

"It seems like flattery did get me somewhere," she explains with a giggle.

He lis back down quickly so she doesn't see his embarrassment. Or even worse, his disappointment.

"I never knew that you had such a silver-tongue, Inoue."

He watches her lie down next to him. Watches as her head turns toward him. Watches her as she watches him.

"I don't. I don't just compliment anyone, Kurosaki-kun."

He stares a second longer into her warm eyes before he turns his head back toward the darkened sky.

"So she says," he remarks.

"So he shall believe," she counters in a wise voice.

He chuckles.

"I feel like we've gotten off topic," he states.

"Why are you here, Kurosaki-kun?"

His head moves to look at her as he hears movement. She's lying on her side now, her body facing him. Her face is supported by her hand.

He is silent as he tries to come up with a lie because he sure as hell can't tell the truth. Because if he told her that he's been visiting this spot everyday hoping that she'll stop by, he thinks he'd die from embarrassment.

"Training."

"Ah~I see. I guess I've been slacking off compared to Kurosaki-kun."

He instantly feels bad for lying to her, and he turns on his side, mirroring her body, and he is gearing up to apologize when he notices that she's grinning.

"Kurosaki-kun really is the best!"

Before he can blush, he reaches out with his free hand to poke her forehead.

"Stop that."

She giggles.

"You really are shy, aren't you, Kurosaki-kun?"

"Am not," he grumbles while staring into her eyes. She blinks, and her face turns pink. She then rolls to her back.

"Who's shy now?" He teases as he also rolls onto his back.

"Meany!"

"Uh-huh."

"Kurosaki-kun is mean!"

"Yup."

"Kurosaki-kun is a bully!"

"Music to my ears."

"Kurosaki-kun…"

"Oh? Ran out of insults already?"

"Kurosaki-kun is going to help me plan Tatsuki-chan's party!"

"…so the truth finally comes out. How sneaky of you, Inoue."

She sits up, and she stares down at him. She gives a toothy grin before she gives him puppy dog eyes.

"Fine. I'll help."

She lies back down.

"See?! Kurosaki-kun is the best!"

He sighs.

If he is the best, she is absolutely perfect. But this he keeps to himself. For now, he keeps his words and feelings to himself, and he just enjoys her animated voice and gestures as she explains the theme for Tatsuki's party. For now, he just enjoys his love-like crush or his crush-like love until evening turns to night. And then, he'll walk her home and hope for something more.


	24. No Time to Waste

"So next time, do you think you can make some time for me? "

Her head tilts the other way

"Next time? If it's important to Kurosaki-kun, we can talk about it now," she tells him earnestly. So candidly that his worried and tense expression melts into an embarrassed one.

He shakes his head.

"No. It's not important," he fumbles out. "I mean, it _is_ important," he corrects. "Just not _that_ important," he stresses. "Well, to _me_ , it's…" He trails off, cursing inwardly again at his inability to express himself.

She grins despite her confusion.

"Oh. Okay. But important or not, I'll always make time for Kurosaki-kun," she exclaims with a smile.

Her words should pacify him because he knows that his secret is still a secret, and her smile should relax him as it always does, but for some reason, he is left unsatisfied.

Unsatisfied and antsy.

"No. I don't want you to make time for me."

She loses her smile.

"Eh?"

"The truth is …what I'm about to tell you is not nothing, and it is important."

He takes a deep breath and looks straight into her eyes.

"Inoue, I don't want you to make time for me because that means that we are apart, and I hate that."

His clenched hands tighten even more as her eyebrows knit together.

"Do…do you understand what I mean?" He asks lowly.

She gives a shaky breath and a shake of her head.

"Inoue…I want for us to not be apart anymore. I want to be at your side. All the time."

He squeezes his already closed hands.

"And I don't want to waste any more time not telling you that I love you."

"…"

"You understand me now, right?" He begins as he turns his head to look back at her. "Ri-"

His sentence is cut short by a clumsy, haste, perfect kiss.

And he realizes something as she clings to him, tears gathering in her eyes, a smile gracing her lips, an 'I love you' at the tip of her tongue: she doesn't want to waste any more time, either.


	25. The Prelude

Notice me. All I want is for you to notice me. But notice me differently. Notice me in the way that you are not used to. Notice me not as your hero. I don't want to be your hero any longer. Because you see, if I'm your hero, I'm afraid you won't want me as anything else. And I want to be. I want to be something else, something more.

So notice me. Not as your ally. I don't want to be another one of the people you can count on, although you can. I don't want to blend in with the others. I want to be special. I want to be by your side without the threat of a fight. I just want to be next to you.

So notice me. Not as your friend. Because you see, I don't want to be just your friend any longer. Because friends don't look at the other with longing. Friends don't want the other the way I want you. And I do. I want you.

So notice me. Because this hero, ally, and friend of yours notices you. I notice everything about you. And I love you. I do.

And I'll try and wait. I'll try and wait until you notice me. But it's been years, and I am losing hope that you might. So if I ask you to make time for me, please say that you will. And maybe then, you'll finally notice me.

Will you finally notice me, Inoue?


	26. A Drunken Test

"Finally! About time! I thought you wouldn't show!"

You take off your jacket.

"Sorry. I had some things to do before coming here," you explain to a red-faced Renji. "It seems like you've been into the booze already."

"Lighten up! It's Christman!"

"Christmas, you idiot!" Rukia corrects next to him.

Renji responds by draping himself over her, and she responds by blushing and trying to push him away.

"What are you doing, you fool?! Nii-sama will be here any minute!"

"He's coming?" You ask as you take a seat next to Ikkaku who is telling a dirty joke to anyone who will listen.

"Yes! He said he'll make a brief appearance since this is also a celebration for Renji's and mine engagement."

"How festive of him," you reply as you flag down someone to order a tea.

"Tea? It's a party! Drink!" Iba yells across the room.

You scowl.

"Underage still."

"Well, at least drink this. It's more in the spirit!" Renji exclaims drunkenly while he hands you a glass.

You sniff it.

"What is it?"

"Eggnog."

You set the glass on the table.

"That has alcohol. No wonder you're drunk off your ass."

"It does? Whoops!"

You turn in your chair to see a black cat.

"I think we have a problem," Yoruichi says.

You follow the line of sight of the yellow-eyed feline to see what said problem is.

And yes, it is a problem.

You stand up quickly and cross the large room, stopping in front of a small, crowded table.

"Kurosaki-kun! You made it!"

Your eye twitches at the slur of her words.

"Ooo~he's angry, Orihime!" Rangiku comments.

"Definitely," Hisagi agrees with eyes focused on the blonde. You think if his eyes were focused on the auburn haired girl, you would really get into the spirit. The spirit of fighting, that is.

"Why are," she pauses to hiccup, "you mad? Are you mad at me?" She asks in a teary voice.

You can feel your anger waver, but you turn your attention to the women who is chugging a glass full of unknown liquid.

"Why did you let her drink? She's underage!"

"Relax, Ichigo! She's well protected with all of us here!" Rangiku says while hugging Inoue. You glare at her wandering hands.

"It's you I need to protect her from!"

Rangiku scoffs.

"Orihime likes my hugs! Right?"

Inoue nods dazedly.

"I love hugs!" She shouts drunkenly. So loud that a couple of men from a different section look over to see who exclaimed the statement. And once they see who it was, they stand.

Your eyes narrow into slits, and your spiritual pressure rises. They feel it, and they sit back down.

"Don't say that in this kind of place, Inoue," you advise with a little harshness that's not meant for her.

She pouts.

"S-sorry, Kurosaki-kun," she gets out before she burrows her head into Rangiku shoulder.

"Look what you did, Ichigo! You've made her sad!" The older woman berates.

You instantly feel awful.

"Sorry, Inoue."

She looks up with teary eyes. From being upset or from the drinks, you don't know.

"That's not going to cut it," Rangiku comments. "You yelled at her for loving hugs; therefore, you should hug her."

You blush.

"What kind of logic is that?!"

"Drunken," she responds before grinning. "So are you going to do it or not?"

You blush harder as you stay silent.

"Don't you want a hug from him, Orihime?"

Your eyes trail back to said blushing girl as you wait for her response.

"A hug from Kurosaki-kun?" She asks quietly. "I want it!"

You go redder.

"There you go, Ichigo! Give her what she wants," Rangiku says as she helps Inoue stand.

You remain flabbergasted at the events occurring, but it's when Inoue walks until she's in front of you that you skip past flabbergasted and move straight into panic.

"…"

She looks up at you as she opens her arms. The gesture almost makes you glance down, but you know better than that. Your eyes stay fixated on her face.

"Aren't you going to hug me, Kurosaki-kun?"

You grit your teeth as the heat in this place becomes too much.

"Aren't you?" Rangiku repeats.

It's tempting. You are not even going to lie. The thought of holding her in your arms, in the one place that you know she'll be totally safe and protected, is so tempting that you take a step forward without even realizing it. But when you do, you take a step back.

"I'm going to get some air," you state as you walk away. Away from this indecent proposition, away from your desire, away from this trap.

Because it is a trap. You've no doubt about it.

You make your way to a bench. You collapse onto it while you bury your head into your hands. You groan into them in frustration and anger.

This night has somehow gone from Rukia and Renji's engagement celebration to…what? A night in which his limits are tested?

And they are being tested. And you feel that Rangiku knows that. You just hope that Inoue doesn't.

But it gives you a start when you feel her reiatsu next to you so suddenly. You might've been too engrossed with your thoughts that you didn't even notice her until it was too late. If you had, maybe you could've escaped. Maybe you could've slipped into the night the way your restraints tried to.

She is silent as she sits next to you. She smells of flowers, and you think that shouldn't be right. She should reek of booze, but she just smells of home to you.

You slightly shake your head to try to clear it. Her scent could put you in a trance very easily, and by the way you were inching closer to her, it nearly had.

You think this is bad. And you want to leave, but she's too quiet. As if she is brooding, and that is something you aren't used to. So unfamiliar with it that you are too nervous to get up.

You stay seated, and you wait for her to say something as you stare straight ahead. But she doesn't. Not with words anyways.

You think she is trying to say something when you feel her head bump your arm. You think she's trying to tell you something when you feel her move closer to you. You think that maybe she is saying all the words you are too afraid to say.

But when you hear little snores come out of her, when you look down at her closed eyes and open mouth, you realize that she is saying something completely different than what you hoped.

Still, you can't feel disappointed or hurt at her lack of words, of the lack of reciprocation because she's clearly communicating something with you.

Because when her head starts to slip, you catch her and pull her close, and when you do, she gives a large, drunken smile. A smile that you've seen so many times when she is sober and _happy_. And she mumbles something about love before she slumps more onto you. And maybe that love she mumbled is for you. And maybe it's not. With her next to you though, head resting on your chest, it doesn't matter. In that moment, it doesn't matter. It really doesn't.

But when the moment is over, when she leaves you, you'll face the consequences of loving her too closely. You'll face the pain of falling too deeply. You'll face it all alone.


	27. (Gentle) Hands

Her hand is small, you decide. Small in its size and yet… in that small hand of hers, she holds you captive. You are literally wrapped around her finger. Literally, she holds your entire existence in the palm of her little hand.

It doesn't bother you as much as it did in the beginning. You have accepted the fact that your happiness is contingent on hers. You have embraced the lone fact that she is what your heart wants and what your soul needs. You have accepted that it is her hand that holds you from falling. It is her hand that keeps you grounded. Her hand that pushes you when you need to be pushed and pulls you back when you need to be stopped. It is by her hand, and her hand alone, that she can heal your heart as easily as she can break it.

And it doesn't bother you as much as it did in the beginning. Because with that small hand, she reaches out to you. She wants your hand interlocked with hers. She wants to wear the ring you chose on that finger. She wants to hold your face in those small hands of hers. She wants you.

And really…it doesn't bother you when another small hand comes into the mix. It doesn't scare you when a small hand, smaller than hers, wraps around your finger as you hold him in your arms for the first time. Because although her and his hands are small, yours are big. And with your hands, your strong, clumsy, gentle, scarred, bruised, callous hands, you'll protect the both of them. Your first and last love. Your baby boy. Your sun and your world, you'll hold them both in your hands, and you'll never let go.


	28. A Blue Diamond

There are certain things she wears. Things that are a part of her forever. Things that make her who she is.

Her hair clips are the first thing that comes to his mind. Her brother's gift is something she will never be without in her life. She'll always have them, powers or not.

The next thing is her long hair. This he learns from her one day when he's running his fingers through her hair. He comments on how long it's getting, and she explains why she keeps it at the length. What it really means. And he knows that she'll never have short hair.

Now, these two things come from her most important people. One from her beloved brother and the other from her beloved Tatsuki. These two people undeniably take up her heart. So much so that he was a little afraid that he wouldn't have a place in it if she ever were to let him in.

And so, for a while, he hides a part of him from her. Only letting her know of his feelings of like and not the true depth of his love.

But she brings it out of him. Brings out those three words, brings out that emotion, that feeling, that smile that he lost so many years ago. She brings it all out. Not for her but for him. For his sake, she brings all of it out.

And so, with courage he doesn't have but somehow managed to summon, he gives her a piece of him. A ring. And with that ring, he's asking, begging, for a space in her heart. A place among those two who he deems unsurpassable. He's pleading for a small, minuscule, spot. That's all he wants. He just wants to be one of her beloved.

So there are certain things she wears. Things that are a part of her forever. Things that make her who she is. Who she chooses to be.

With that ring she wears, she chooses to be his everything.


	29. Wander

He doesn't really know when it starts. It just happens. His eyes start to wander, and he feels this sort of longing when he looks at couples. A longing that won't go away, and so, his eyes start to wander.

He first starts looking at the chest. He chalks this up to hormones.

His eyes skims over chests, not really in perversion but out of curiosity, out of interest to see what interests him. He decides, and this he knows is stereotypical, he likes breasts that are big. But he looks at passing women with a large bust, but none of them makes his heart beat fast. So he keeps looking.

His eyes wander below the breasts, down to the hips. Again, this instinct he blames on his hormones.

His eyes wander. He decides that he likes wider hips. Skinny but not skinny. He decides he likes a woman with curves. A curvy woman. But he comes across a curvy woman, and she does not make his heart beat fast despite her interest in him. So he keeps looking.

His eyes wander. He wants a curvy woman, but at what height? He decides he wants her short. Someone who would fit into him. As if she were designed for him. But he comes across a short, curvy woman, and she does not make his heart beat fast. So he keeps looking.

His eyes wander. A woman passes him, and her hair that flows behind her. He decides he wants a woman with long hair. Hair that he can wrap his finger in, that he can run his hands through. Hair that trails after her like he will. But he finds a long-haired, short, curvy woman, and she does not make his heart beat fast. So he keeps looking.

His eyes wander. And wander. And wander. Because each woman that he passes do not make his heart beat faster. Each woman, no matter if she has all the criteria of his ideal woman, fall short. Fall short to who? He doesn't know. But maybe he should give up. Maybe he should just…

"What's wrong, Kurosaki-kun?"

He turns towards her.

She has it. All of it. What he wants, she's it. And maybe he based each quality he strives to seek out in other women on her. Maybe this woman, this important person who makes his heart beat fast, is his ideal woman. But she's off limits. As she always will be. And maybe this longing, this longing to be with someone, is not a longing to be with anyone. Maybe it's just a longing to be with her. But it'll stop at that. Longing. Yearning. Wanting.

He smiles.

"Nothing, Inoue."

So his eyes keep wandering.


	30. Type

"So I hear she's got a boyfriend."

He remains working on a particularly difficult math problem as his group gossips.

"A girl like that would have to have a boyfriend or two."

"I hear you man! She's so…what's the word I am looking for?"

"Perfect."

"That's right. Perfect," one of them sighs.

"Hey, Ichigo. I heard you know her."

He erases his mistake before looking up in boredom.

"Who?"

"Have you not been listening?"

He shakes his head and looks down at his paper. "We're taking about Inoue Orihime."

Now, they have his attention.

"What about her?"

"Do you know how long she's been dating her boyfriend?"

He glares before responding.

"She doesn't have one."

"Liar!"

He glares some more.

"I'm not lying. She doesn't have one."

"Well, maybe she does, and you just don't know about it. Are you two close?"

His glare lessens a bit as he responds.

"Yeah. She's my," he trails off in an attempt to find an adequate word that summed up their relationship.

"Your?" One of them prompts.

He struggles a bit more before saying, "friend."

"You and her, friends? How'd that happen? You two seem like polar opposites."

He becomes defensive

"We were classmates and then friends. That is all there is to it."

"I can't even imagine what you two have in common," one of them comments.

"Then don't imagine," he bites out before scrapping his eraser against his paper.

One of them chuckles.

"But I can't help it! I want to know what you two talk about. Or what she's like."

"Yeah!" One of them agrees. "What is she like?"

His hand stops moving as he ponders the question, thoughtful.

"She's…" he glances up at the sun beating down on them. "She's so…" he stops.

"So, what?!"

"I don't know. She's just her."

"That's helpful."

"Well, is she funny?" A different one asks.

"Yeah."

"Smart?"

"Yup."

"Nice?"

"To a fault."

"Okay. It sounds like we are getting somewhere! Now, what are her hobbies?"

"Baking and cooking weird things."

They prompt him to go on with a look.

"She likes sewing. And reading. Games, too."

"Really? She doesn't seem like the type."

"She's unique. She doesn't fit into any type," he comments as he looks down at his paper.

"Are you saying she's one of a kind?" One of them jokes.

He shrugs, neither denying or confirming. Although, it is definitely the latter.

"So she doesn't fit into any type…but is she your type?"

"What do you mean?" He asks knowing full well what the other is hinting. He just wants to play dumb a little longer to prolong the inevitable answer.

"Come on, man! Do you like her?"

"Yeah. She's my friend," he continues his oblivious act

"Do you like her more than a friend?" One pushes.

"Yeah. She's like one of my best friends. She's one of the most important people in my life."

One of them roll their eyes.

"Okay. That's nice and all, but do you want to fuck her?"

He freezes and then blushes. From anger, of course.

"Don't talk about her in that kind of way," he growls while emitting spiritual pressure that he can't suppress.

They all flinch.

"Sorry."

He ignores their apologies as he packs up his things.

"Yeah. We just want to know how you can stay friends with her and not want something more."

He stands.

"It doesn't matter what I want," he says as he walks away.

Because if it does, if what he wants really matters, she wouldn't just be his type, he would be hers.


	31. Friends

You don't like her. Really, you don't. She's too nice and perky and kind, and, and, argh! She's a huge pain.

But…she cried for you. She cried for you when you were in pain. And she smiled at you when you were mean to her. And she thanked you when you said harsh things at her. And she accepted you. Despite your attitude and all of your bad traits, she accepted you. She likes _you_.

Still, you don't like her. But it wouldn't be terrible to see her happy. It wouldn't be the worst thing in the world. No, it wouldn't be that bad.

You sort of want to shrink her down and put her in your dollhouse. Surround her in cute things forever, make her smile, but that seems like a waste of time. And even if you were to hide yourself in her, even if you could control her and her thoughts, you already know exactly what will make her happy. You know.

He doesn't.

He's a stupid guy. Hot, yes. Strong, sure. A good guy, okay. But stupid. Plain stupid. But she's stupid, too, so you guess that's good. Stupid begets stupid, right? A perfect match, you'll say. If only he would catch on, though. But he's a moroooon!

She's just as bad, you realize. If she were smart, which you know she is, she would have already confessed to that dummy. But she goes year after year not doing anything! It's so not cute! And no matter how much you scold her over the phone about her dumb decisions (how dare she drop out of college!), she still keeps her feelings hidden. She is so frustrating!

And so is he. But you can't scold him the way you do her. She likes it when you stop by her work and lecture her over cookies and cakes. He doesn't like when you try to boss him around during his training sessions, so you don't berate him as much as you do her. Because she likes when you yell at her, and he doesn't.

So you guess that's why you wouldn't mind if she were happy. Even when you rebuke her, she's always making up small excuses to call you when you can't stop by to see her, which you only do to eat because her shop has the best desserts. She always inviting you to her place when you get too busy or stressed with your business. She's always giving you that smile that you are not used to getting from anyone. She's always…cute.

And you've always had a soft spot for cute things.

So when she calls you in the middle of night, excited to the point that she is nearly screaming through the phone, you have to fight back a smile. And instead of smiling, you first start out by criticizing her for calling so damn late and for her loud volume. You then click your tongue and tell her that it's about time that Ichigo asked her out and revealed his feeling. Then, you tell her to calm down and for her to explain, in detail, what happened and what he said because you waited a long time for this, and you deserve to hear the full story. You waited a long time for her to be happy, and you want to hear how it happened.

Of course, you don't tell her this. Why should you? She knows that you are all bark and no bite. She knows that you don't like her. You tell her enough. But she knows the truth even though you don't say it aloud. She knows that you don't like her but that you love her. Just like she loves you.

"Riruka-chan? Are you listening? You're not asleep, are you?"

"I'm asleep. Why?"

You hear her whine.

This time, you can't help but smile. Because she's happy, and it's not the worst thing to happen. She's finally happy. And you guess that means he is happy, too. Which is all you could want for your friends.

But that doesn't stop you from calling her a dummy for loving such a dense guy. You wouldn't be you if you were to say how you really feel. Which is that you are happy. But you think she knows that anyways. After all, she wouldn't be Orihime if she didn't.


End file.
